ALCC honors Bill Cary for lifetime achievement Email
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Monday, May 08, 2017 06:00 AM


Bill CaryWhen ALCC announced the recipients of its 2017 Volunteer Service Awards this year, the Bob Cannon Lifetime Achievement Award presentation was especially bittersweet, as the award recognized a longtime ALCC member who will retire at the end of this month.

Bill Cary, an educator at Pickens Technical College, has taught horticulture at Pickens Technical College in Aurora for 25 years. His industry experience as a manager of large landscape businesses and owner his own landscape company helped shape Pickens’ program and provide real-world training to students. The curriculum Cary developed has supported several green industry certification programs, including the Landscape Industry Certified Technician program, which ALCC administers for Colorado.

When judges and candidates gather on June 17 for hands-on certification testing, Cary’s absence will no doubt be felt.

Cary was also instrumental in establishing relationships with agricultural educators for the landscape industry. His work laid the foundation for the launch of ALCC’s Landscape Career Pathways Program, which equips high school students for landscape careers upon graduation.

Through Career Pathways, ALCC works with the Colorado Community College System to identify high school Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers and provide them hands-on training in basic landscape skills so they can apply these lessons in the classroom. The program also highlights the many career opportunities within the landscape industry.  

“Bill’s commitment to education and advancing the landscape profession has shaped the lives of many students now and well into the future,” said ALCC Executive Director John McMahon.

The Bob Cannon Lifetime Achievement Award honors individuals who have given loyal, dedicated service to the landscape industry, contributed ideas, programs and other endeavors to benefit other ALCC members, and have improved the professional image of the landscape industry. It was named for Bob Cannon, an ALCC founder and visionary who realized many years ago that we were much better working together than separately. Created in 1978, it was the first volunteer service award from the organization. Since then, an ALCC leader has been recognized annually for outstanding service to ALCC and to the green industry.  

In addition to honoring Bill Cary, ALCC chose a second Bob Cannon award honoree, ALCC’s Outgoing Executive Director Kristen Fefes. Read about her award here.

Read more in this issue of Colorado Green NOW:
Kristen Fefes leaves ALCC with a lifetime achievement honor
John Gibson talks about Swingle and safety
Is your staff prepared for work site first aid?

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